Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!hplabs!hpfcso!hpfcbig!jenings From: jenings@hpfcbig.SDE.HP.COM (Byron Jenings) Newsgroups: rec.skydiving Subject: Re: Student Training (was: Re: Fatality In Colorado) Message-ID: <8570006@hpfcbig.SDE.HP.COM> Date: 9 Apr 91 03:51:35 GMT References: <2020013@hpfelg.HP.COM> Organization: HP SESD, Fort Collins, CO Lines: 48 John P. Jackson writes: |> It's pretty amazing there's hasn't been more students go in. I've surely |>seen and heard enough about close ones of the years. I'd really like to |>know how many AFF jumps are made. Maybe there aren't as many as we think. | I have no statistics to readily quote, but I think that the above | statement comes from a person | who is very out of touch with the outside world. Anyone | aggree/disagree? Sounds a little out of touch to me. I know, having tried both, that I've been much more impressed with the AFF approach than other methods. I did 5 static line jumps in college, took a 5-year break, and then a "fun" tandem followed by two AFF jumps, one of which was tandem. I was very impressed with the training for the freefall portion, and think that this is a much more sane approach that the hop-n-pop instruction. As it turns out, however, on my last AFF I went over-analytic during the canopy ride and did a downwind landing because I was focusing on a bunch of irrelevant details (my fault, entirely). I ended up badly dislocating my shoulder, which has pretty much ended my skydiving career (I wind-tunnel tested my airframe at Fly-Away to see if I had recovered, and I experienced structural failure). Since I can't skydive, I've been trying some flying lessons. The first thing that struck me was the difference in instruction. Things progress very slowly, with lots of practice with an instructor nearby to help and answer questions on the spot, and re-creation of minor problems (stall, etc.). My first thought was "gee, I wish the AFF program had begun with several tandem jumps with intensive canopy instruction". I think the sport of skydiving could learn a lot from aviation instruction. If I ever get my shoulder fixed and decide to get back into it, I'd definitely do about five tandem jumps first before re-starting AFF. I don't think I'd ever try a static line jump again until I'd passed the AFF program. footnote: The tandem, AFF, and pilot instruction all took place at the airfield discussed in the basenote. In general, I was very impressed with the instruction that I received at Skydive Colorado. Although I feel I received adequate ground training (maybe too much) and had done several static line jumps under round canopy years earlier, nothing can substitute for actually doing these things with somebody around to talk you through it real-time. My comments are directed at AFF in general, not at the particular instruction I received. So anybody agree, or am I just a wimpy bozo?